Beijing court withdraws probation on ex-lawyer convicted of overthrowing state

BEIJING, Dec. 16 (Xinhua) -- A Beijing court Friday withdrew probation on a former lawyer convicted of inciting to overthrow the state power and put him back in jail.

Gao Zhisheng, 47, was sentenced to three years in prison with five years of probation and deprived of political rights for one year on Dec. 22, 2006, said a statement from the Beijing First Intermediate People's Court.

He had seriously violated probation rules for a number of times, which led to the court decision to withdraw the probation, the statement said.

Gao, holding a residence permit of the city of Urumqi in Xinjiang, had been a lawyer based in Beijing before the conviction.

"Bob Fu has dedicated his life to bringing freedom of religion to the Chinese people. His story is a testimony to the power of faith and an inspiration to people struggling to break free from oppression." —Mrs. Laura Bush